A Test

[JMWHALEN]

"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Luke 6:46
____________________________________________________________________________

"Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity." 1 Timothy 2:7

"Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles." 2 Timothy 1:11


"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." 2 Timothy 2:2

Since, obviously, the body of Christ is being addressed in Matthew-John and the early Acts period, let us begin out test of intellectual honesty. Those who understand dispensational truth will be grading each and every answer. And there will be no "grading on the curve." Let's begin, shall we? And no "up periscope", i.e., "cheating" by "scoping"/ looking at another student's answers(such as a commentary, book, what my pastor wrote, what a "reverand" wrote, what a "priest" wrote, what a theologian with 15 titles before and after his/her name wrote, what "the church" "fathers" wrote, what "Luther, Calvin, Warfield, Spurgeon, Schofield, Finney, Wesley...................................................................wrote). Although this is an "open book" exam, only the Holy Bible may be used. And "feel free" to disregard 2 Timothy 2:15, at least for this test /examination since, obviously, all scripture is written for our obedience.

The first question is not "multiple choice", nor "all but two of the above", nor will any answer be accepted along the lines of "He really did not mean that literally- He was merely ONLY attempting to teach/convey a spiritual truth".

Question 1: Have you sold all your possesions? This is one of the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ- one of the "things which" He said:

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Matthew 19:21

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth." Luke 12:32-33

("Extra credit" on this test! Please elaborate as to why you do or "do not the things" of giving alms, since, as previously mentioned, obviously the body of Christ is being addressed here-"little flock"=the body of Christ.)

"Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me." Luke 18:22

As stated, any answer along the lines of "He really did not mean that literally- He was merely ONLY attempting to teach/convey a spiritual truth", or, "that was before the cross and the resurrection", will be "red marked" as incorrect, and "non responsive/incomplete", for the disciples did exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ said, both before and after the death, burial, and resurrection:

"before"

"Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" Matthew 19:27

"Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee." Mark 10:28

"Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee." Luke 18:28

"after"

"And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need." Acts 2:44,45

"Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." Acts 3:6

"And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need." Acts 4:32-35

(PS: "Extra credit" on this test! Provide your analysis as to the merits of communism, i.e., "...all things common..." vs. "free enterprise"/"capitalism", per Acts 11:29 ,"every man according to his ability...", today. And we must "leave out

"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." 1 Timothy 5:8

since, obviously Paul had not read the previous cited scriptures. Why Paul?!)

Penalty for disobedience:death-Acts 5:1-11 per Numbers 15:29-31:


"Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them. But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him."

I expect each and every believer to "Produce your cause......bring forth your strong reasons...", as to why you do obey these commands, or, conversely, why you "....do not do the things which I say..."(Luke 6:46). If you do obey these commands, I would at least respect your intellectual honesty, and your consistency.
As Elijah of old demanded, and I likewise demand:

"...How long halt ye between two opinions?..." (1 Kings 18:21)

And I do not expect "....And the people answered him not a word...." (1 Kings 18:21)


PS/PS:
1.You may use a pencil instead of a pen. This way, perhaps you can rethink your position, demonstrating a "...readiness of mind..."(Acts 17:11), and erase it.

2. "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." 2 Timothy 2:2

I encourage other "likeminded"(Philippians 2:20) teachers of right division to provide questions for this test. I am merely a substitute teacher.


In Christ,
John M. Whalen

 

[rightlydividingtheword]

"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Luke 6:46
____________________________________________________________________________

"Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity." 1 Timothy 2:7

"Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles." 2 Timothy 1:11


"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." 2 Timothy 2:2

Since, obviously, the body of Christ is being addressed in Matthew-John and the early Acts period, let us begin out test of intellectual honesty. Those who understand dispensational truth will be grading each and every answer. And there will be no "grading on the curve." Let's begin, shall we? And no "up periscope", i.e., "cheating" by "scoping"/ looking at another student's answers(such as a commentary, book, what my pastor wrote, what a "reverand" wrote, what a "priest" wrote, what a theologian with 15 titles before and after his/her name wrote, what "the church" "fathers" wrote, what "Luther, Calvin, Warfield, Spurgeon, Schofield, Finney, Wesley...................................................................wrote). Although this is an "open book" exam, only the Holy Bible may be used. And "feel free" to disregard 2 Timothy 2:15, at least for this test /examination since, obviously, all scripture is written for our obedience.

The first question is not "multiple choice", nor "all but two of the above", nor will any answer be accepted along the lines of "He really did not mean that literally- He was merely ONLY attempting to teach/convey a spiritual truth".

Question 1: Have you sold all your possesions? This is one of the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ- one of the "things which" He said:

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Matthew 19:21

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth." Luke 12:32-33

("Extra credit" on this test! Please elaborate as to why you do or "do not the things" of giving alms, since, as previously mentioned, obviously the body of Christ is being addressed here-"little flock"=the body of Christ.)

"Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me." Luke 18:22

As stated, any answer along the lines of "He really did not mean that literally- He was merely ONLY attempting to teach/convey a spiritual truth", or, "that was before the cross and the resurrection", will be "red marked" as incorrect, and "non responsive/incomplete", for the disciples did exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ said, both before and after the death, burial, and resurrection:

"before"

"Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" Matthew 19:27

"Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee." Mark 10:28

"Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee." Luke 18:28

"after"

"And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need." Acts 2:44,45

"Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." Acts 3:6

"And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need." Acts 4:32-35

(PS: "Extra credit" on this test! Provide your analysis as to the merits of communism, i.e., "...all things common..." vs. "free enterprise"/"capitalism", per Acts 11:29 ,"every man according to his ability...", today. And we must "leave out

"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." 1 Timothy 5:8

since, obviously Paul had not read the previous cited scriptures. Why Paul?!)

Penalty for disobedience:death-Acts 5:1-11 per Numbers 15:29-31:


"Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them. But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him."

I expect each and every believer to "Produce your cause......bring forth your strong reasons...", as to why you do obey these commands, or, conversely, why you "....do not do the things which I say..."(Luke 6:46). If you do obey these commands, I would at least respect your intellectual honesty, and your consistency.
As Elijah of old demanded, and I likewise demand:

"...How long halt ye between two opinions?..." (1 Kings 18:21)

And I do not expect "....And the people answered him not a word...." (1 Kings 18:21)


PS/PS:
1.You may use a pencil instead of a pen. This way, perhaps you can rethink your position, demonstrating a "...readiness of mind..."(Acts 17:11), and erase it.

2. "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." 2 Timothy 2:2

I encourage other "likeminded"(Philippians 2:20) teachers of right division to provide questions for this test. I am merely a substitute teacher.


In Christ,
John M. Whalen

Great post brother

 

[eph3Nine]

Jim Whalen Wrote:

The first question is not "multiple choice", nor "all but two of the above", nor will any answer be accepted along the lines of "He really did not mean that literally- He was merely ONLY attempting to teach/convey a spiritual truth".

If you believe that the Kingdom gospel is the gospel for today, then:

Question 1: Have you sold all your possesions? This is one of the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ- one of the "things which" He said:

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Matthew 19:21

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth." Luke 12:32-33

("Extra credit" on this test! Please elaborate as to why you do or "do not the things" of giving alms, since, as previously mentioned, obviously the body of Christ is being addressed here-"little flock"=the body of Christ.)

"Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me." Luke 18:22

As stated, any answer along the lines of "He really did not mean that literally- He was merely ONLY attempting to teach/convey a spiritual truth", or, "that was before the cross and the resurrection", will be "red marked" as incorrect, and "non responsive/incomplete", for the disciples did exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ said, both before and after the death, burial and resurrection.

Oh John, I dont think further questions will be necessary. This FIRST one will show beyond a doubt that NO ONE is living by the commandments given by Jesus on Earth...NO ONE!

 

[JMWHALEN]

As I suspected, as it is written:

"And the people answered him not a word." 1 Kings 18:21

"Back to Pentecost!" Yes!(as long as I do not have to share my home, stock, bonds, CD's, annuities, IRA, 401-K/403-B profit sharing, pension plan, employee stock plan....................................................)

In Christ,
John M. Whalen

 

[heymikey80]

Question 1: Have you sold all your possesions? This is one of the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ- one of the "things which" He said:

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Matthew 19:21

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth." Luke 12:32-33

("Extra credit" on this test! Please elaborate as to why you do or "do not the things" of giving alms, since, as previously mentioned, obviously the body of Christ is being addressed here-"little flock"=the body of Christ.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The question is based on an invalid assumption.

"If you will be perfect" ... Jesus' statement is based on an intent that someone has.

In point of fact the Law is right when it says, "There is none perfect, no, not one." In order to follow this Law we must submit to its truth.

I do sell of what I have, and I do give alms from it. Again, Jesus' directive here is not to give all that I have (though indeed, by the end of my life I shall indeed give all that I have).

"Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee." Mark 10:28

On Peter as an example.
If an Apostle handled snakes and were bitten by one, then all should handle snakes and be bitten by them?

But just so you know that I'm interested in following Apostles as examples ...

And did Peter really leave all? After the Resurrection, it seems Peter has a boat to go fishing with (cf. John 21). Interesting that Peter didn't sell that and give alms to the poor! That would've been a massive investment in the Kingdom of Christ.

But he didn't.

Who is the person challenging others to give expensive gifts to the poor before the Crucifixion? "Why wasn't this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?"

Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 1 John 2:4-6
​

 

[eph3Nine]

The term "little flock" should be a slam dunk clue as to who is being referred to here. The body of Christ is not even IN existance, but still a SECRET , hid in God...and everyone knows that ISRAEL is referred to as sheep in the scriptures.

We , as members of His BODY, and NOT as sheep, are not TOLD to follow the 12. We are told to follow the HEAD of the Body.

OUR apostle is Paul...NOT Peter.

 

[pehkay]

Huh?

Acts 20:28

28 aTake heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has dplaced you as eoverseers to shepherd the church of God, which He obtained through His own blood.

Acts 20:29

29 I know that after my departure fierce awolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

Paul is speaking to the chuch in Ephesus ... which are Gentiles ^^

 

[eph3Nine]

If you want to know who Paul is speaking to, go to his epistles. Paul didnt write the book of Acts.

The FLOCK always refers to the Nation Israel. WE are never referred to as sheep, but as members of the church, which is his BODY. He is our HEAD, not our shepherd...He was Israels shepherd.

Again, we are not told to follow the 12, nor are we told to follow Christ in His earthly ministry (which by His own admission was to the LOST sheep of the house of ISRAEL)...

We are told to follow Paul as he followed the RISEN Christ!

If you follow the wrong "wingman", you go "boom".

 

[JMWHALEN]

The question is based on an invalid assumption.

"If you will be perfect" ... Jesus' statement is based on an intent that someone has.

In point of fact the Law is right when it says, "There is none perfect, no, not one." In order to follow this Law we must submit to its truth.

I do sell of what I have, and I do give alms from it. Again, Jesus' directive here is not to give all that I have (though indeed, by the end of my life I shall indeed give all that I have)." -hehmikey80
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
part 1

My comment: Wrong. "Intent", or "sell what you have" is not the command given here in the context of the prophetic plan being explained in early Acts. The command was to "sell all", and they did exactly that in early Acts. The Lord Jesus Christ is giving these "kingdom saints" , not members of the body of Christ in this "....dispensation of the grace of God..."(Eph. 3:2). specific commands in light of the impending "promises made unto the fathers" realization, that were not "optional", and were not of the "pick n choose" variety. Disobedience resulted in death. People who "contend" that "the" church began at Pentecost typically "sweep these verses under the rug", dismissing them outright with apologies such as "intent", and thus make Luke 6:46 means absolutely NADA. And thus, disobeying anything the Lord Jesus Christ said in Mt.-John and early Acts can be "spiritualized"/"explained" away.



The authority of the 12 under the prophetic kingdom program-explaining "early Acts"

"And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city." Isaiah 1:26

A King, ruling a kingdom, on earth=land. And just when did the preceding happen? It hasn't. Thus, by rightly
dividing(everyone divides), the following scriptures make sense in a millennial, 1000 year framework, i.e., and just who are those princes ruling in judgment, these that will be in "The city of righteousness"? :

On earth-the 12:

"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Mt. 19:28

"And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Luke 22:29,30

And this explains the following scripture, when viewed in context of the 1000 year millennial kingdom,and the preceding verses with respect to "judgment"/serving as judges(all the apostles), where the Jews will be "the head, not the tail", and have privileged status. The following scripture has been used by the RCC to justify priests "forgiving sins"- apostolic succession, Peter is "the vicar of Christ", the "pope"=the head of 'the' church on earth, as Peter's alleged successor......


And this has resulted in "protestants" doing little more than ignoring these verses, these clear statements, preferring to "water them down" with nonsensical reservations and/or apologies. And thus, those who refuse to view the Holy Bible dispensationally perform mental gymnastics in explaining this verse away,by "spiritualizing" them, or dismissing them("Well, it does not really mean......."

"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Mt. 16:19

"Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 18:18

"Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." John 20:21-23

No, the answer is dispensational(this is a biblical word, and a good one at that) and concerns the position which the 12 and other apostles will have in the promised, literal, earthly millennial kingdom according to prophecy-AUTHORITY:

"And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Luke 22:29,30

The 12 were were to be the official rulers of Israel on earth in the Lord Jesus Christ's kingdom. An official must have authority! Mt. 21:43 stresses that the kingdom was to be taken away from them then ruling Israel-the apostate, unbelieving Jewish leadership:

"Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.' Mt. 21:43

And to what "nation" was this earthly kingdom to be given?:

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32 (not he body of Christ, which is never referred to a "nation").

We learn from:

"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Mt. 19:28


that authority in the kingdom was to be centralized in the 12. And we learn from Matthew 16:19 that the Lord Jesus Christ chooses Peter as the chief of the 12, and personalizes this authority in him:

"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16;19

And hence, this explains the early Acts occurrence of Peter :

"And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)...' Acts 1:15

"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?' Acts 2:37

Thus Peter personally, and "the little flock" represented by the 12, were given divine authority. Mt. 18:18-20 is not a "prayer promise", but identifies what would constitute a quorum for official action. And this authority extended to the remission of sins per John 20:21-23. And how could this authority be put into the hands of "fallible", sinful men?:

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." Jn. 16:13

"But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak." Mt. 10:19

"But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost." Mk. 13:11


"And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost." John 20:22


Remember, per Acts 1:3, the Lord Jesus Christ taught his followers for 40 days his specific instructions=Boot Camp" for 40 days:



"To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:... Acts 1:3

Realized at Pentecost:

"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Acts 1:4,5

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:4

"This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear." Acts 2:32,33

"And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." Acts 4:31

(vs. Paul's instruction in this dispensation: "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;..." Ephesians 5:18)


And Ezekiel 36:27(and others) declares regarding this:


"For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God." Ezekiel 36:24-28


Thus, they were fully equipped for such an authoritative position, being endued with "power from on high", and thus "100%/no error "capable of executing the authority the Lord Jesus Christ placed in their hands, including JUDGMENT. And this explains the official action Peter took in the "absence of the King" in Acts 4/5 , i.e., how did Peter know?:

"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. " Acts 5:1-11
Peter knew, from the miraculous gifts given by the Holy Spirit, "the power on high"(miraculous gifts, including healing, prophesying, tongues,"word of knowledge", raise the dead.......) he and others had received(as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ), that Ananias had "kept back part of the price of the land." This is "the word of knowledge" Paul references:

"For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit." 1Cor. 12:8

"Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away." 1 Cor. 13:8(this "knowledge" here is the miraculous gift of the word of knowledge, that Peter had in Acts 5, and which Paul was referring to above; obviously, knowledge will not vanish away, but only the miraculous gift of knowledge)"

Peter was carrying out the instructions given him by the Lord Jesus Christ "to a tee", through the miraculous spiritual gifts given through the Holy Spirit. And these spiritual gifts, this "power from on high"(Acts 1:4,5) was the "promise of the Father", which they were commanded to wait for, explains why Peter knew, in Acts 5:3,4 perfectly, that Ananias had "held back some property, "keep back part'-"...the word of knowledge by the same Spirit..."(1 Cor. 12:8). And with this same power from on high, they would make "perfect" judgments on the sin issue-hence, John 20:21-23 and the like.


Another infallible action-choosing the successor to Judas per Acts 1-Matthias. And this explains the urgency of choosing, by divine "lot", Matthias to replace Judas-12 apostles for 12 thrones set up in the millennial kingdom.

(continued)

 

[JMWHALEN]

(continued)

part 2

Remember this verse, which many just seem to "punt":


Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:..." Romans 14:8

That is, the Messiah, the Christ came to confirm the promises made to the Jews-not the Body of Christ(which was not in existence at that time). The 12 were given the honor of being the vessels by which Israel would get back on track, to fulfill their calling as a "nation of priests"(Ex. 19:5,6 ; 1 Peter 2:5.9; Rev. 1:6, 5:10-the body of Christ is never referred to as a "priesthood", despite the RCC claims to the contrary; the only "priesthood" ever recognized by the LORD God on earth pertained/will pertain to the nation of Israel), ministering to them so as to show them how to make known the Messiah to the world-this particular mission had no reference/application to any so designated "Christian" "the" Church. And thus, this is the "back drop" to what was happening in the "early Acts" period, as the apostles were given the privileged task, the "Great Commission",in the absence of their Messiah, to persuade, convict, convince Israel first, and then all nations(Gentiles). They were not only given the spiritual gifts, the "power from on high" of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this task, they were given the authority to "forgive"/"judge" "sins"/"offenses" in the absence of the Lord, and this authority was given and promised to them by this same Lord. And this authority as "judges" would continue right on into the promised,prophetic program's millennial kingdom. The apostles, as the "little flock"(Luke 12:32), had the kingdom given to them; and just as the Lord Jesus Christ forgave sins, as he had been given by the Father the power to execute judgment(John 5:22-judgment is delegated),they were given this authority as well. .


This prophetic program has been put on hold temporarily, with the raising up of the apostle Paul(who was not, nor ever will be, one of the12), and the introduction of the mystery program (a discussion of this here, in one thread, is not appropriate), and thus the spiritual gifts, including word of knowledge, raising the dead, tongues, prophecy........(all of which they also did) have ceased, and the "judging/remitting" of sins. However, when the prophetic program resumes, with its corresponding privileged status of Israel, and the Lord Jesus Christ returns to set up his 1000 year millennial reign on earth, from His throne, His "throne of glory", the apostles, the "little flock", will be in that kingdom, on earth, in their resurrected bodies, fulfilling their honored/privileged role as kingdom officials, with full designated power and authority for judgment.



And this explains why the command to "sell everything", if understood in the context of the prophetic program. The impending "Great Tribulation" grew near, and the advent of "...the days of heaven upon the earth..."(Deut. 11:21). Had the Jews accepted the apostles's testimony of the coming millennial kingdom, the Lord Jesus Christ would have returned after the Great Tribulation, established His millennial reign, and established universally the "socialism/communism" as depicted in early Acts. The 12 and "the little flock" of the Messiah's followers did begin to carry out their "Great Commission"-they did "the things" which their Master told them to do(Luke 6:46). They did sell all their belongings and distribute to the needy(Acts 2:44, 45; 4:34,35). They did go forth without material provision/possessions, so that Peter could say, infallibly, "...Silver and gold have I none..."(Acts 3:6). They spent hours in the temple and ceremonially observed the law.(Acts 2:46, 3:1, 5:42, 21:20). They required water baptism for the remission of sins, and miraculous signs, per Mark 16:17, did follow those that did believe(Acts 2:4, 3:6-11, 5:12-16; Hebrews 2:3,4...........). By reading Acts carefully, you can observe how carefully and meticulously they obeyed every command of their "Great Commission"-they fulfilled Luke 6:46. And this included selling all-it was not an "option", or a "suggestion", nor was it based on their "intent." Ananias and Sapphira sold a possession, and yet "kept back" a "part" of the land they sold. Their "intent" was judged with death.




In Christ,
John M. Whalen

 

[s0journ3r]

Huh?

Acts 20:28

28 aTake heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has dplaced you as eoverseers to shepherd the church of God, which He obtained through His own blood.

Acts 20:29

29 I know that after my departure fierce awolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

Paul is speaking to the chuch in Ephesus ... which are Gentiles ^^

Good Scriptures there, pehkay. That's proof right there that the Church is the flock. We're the sheep of His pasture. It's sad how "MAD" advocates would completely rob Christian's of the image of Christ as our Shepherd.

Yours truly in Christ,
sojourner

 

[eph3Nine]

Christ is OUR head..."if" we are indeed members of His Body.

Christ isnt building a "flock" of sheep, but a BODY today, made up of jew and gentile alike who BELIEVE in the "preaching of Jesus Christ ACCORDING to the REVELATION of the MYSTERY...."

 

[JMWHALEN]

"Good Scriptures there, pehkay. That's proof right there that the Church is the flock. We're the sheep of His pasture. It's sad how "MAD" advocates would completely rob Christian's of the image of Christ as our Shepherd.

Yours truly in Christ,
sojourner"
________________

part 1
The Old "I know I can find one/a few verses that support my doctrine, and ignore the rest., ignore the rest of the scriptures, both OT and NT, that says Israel is the sheep. And, in the meantime, it is sad, and true, that we rob Israel of her promises, her blessings. And, of course, we get her promises and blessings, but we can ignore her curses!"

And it is sad that you cannot see the mystery, and see the Lord Jesus Christ in this dispensation as "the head of the body", and instead follow Him after the flesh, despite 2 Cor. 5:16. And it is sad that your lack of both reading comprehensions skills and spiritual discernment inevitably leads you to make pitiful condescending comments toward those who are able to digest meat. We cannot rectify your diet of milk and your inability to stomach meat.

Israel as sheep
"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." Jn 10:16

This is a reference to Israel, the sheep of the dispersion, and is a reference to the re-uniting of the northern kingdom, Israel(10 tribes), and and the southern kingdoms, Samaria(the tribes of Joseph and Ephraim). The Jews were always referred to as sheep.

"Israel is a scattered sheep..." Jer. 50:17
"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." Isaiah 40:11

"Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?' Isaiah 63:11

"Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen." Psalms 44:11

"But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock." Psalms 78:52

"So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations." Psalms 79:13

"Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth." Psalms 80:1

"For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,.." Psalms 95:7

"Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD. And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. " Jeremiah 23:1-3


"And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land." Jeremiah 23:1-8
"For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all." Jeremiah 31:7-12



"In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace. All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers." Jer. 50:4-7


"Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria. And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead." Jeremiah 50:17-19

"The Lord GOD, which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him." Is. 56:8

"For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.......Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods." Ezekiel 34:11-12, 22-25


"The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions(Benjamin and Levi-my comment): And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all." Ezekiel 37:15-22

"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God." Zechariah 13:7-9

"These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matthew 10:5,6

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32

"But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matthew 15:24

"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant." Hebrews 13:20

"For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." 1 Peter 2:25

And who is the "ye" Peter is writing to? The dispersia-Jews, never Gentiles:

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia..." 1 Peter 1:1

"The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine, for ye are strangers and sojourners with me." Lev. 25:23

(continued)

 

[JMWHALEN]

part 2

Prophecy/warning of this dispersia:

"The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth." Deut. 28:25

"Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?" Jn 7:35=Jews dispersed abroad among the Gentile nations.


Acts 1:2 -Jews-no Gentiles

"And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)..." Acts 1:13-15 -Jews, no Gentiles

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." This is the same "they" of Acts 1:26-Jews-no Gentiles.

Pentecost was a JEWISH Feast. You HAD TO BE JEWISH to participate in this obligation. A Gentile could only be included if he was a proselyte.

"And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven...." Acts 2:5 Jews-no Gentiles

"Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God." Acts 2:9-11 =the dispersia of Jews scattered abroad. Pentecost was one of the feasts mandated by the Law of Moses(the other being Passover and Tabernacles), where every every male JEW had to attend in Jerusalem. This explains why the big crowd! This was a mandatory JEWISH feast day=NO GENTILES ALLOWED!

Peter, as late as Acts 10:28, would have no company with any Gentile:

"And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean..."

This was part of the Law of Moses-JEWS were to be SEPARATE from the heathen nations=GENTILES. Hence, the meaning of a"holy" nation=separated by the LORD God for service to be the vessel,or channel of God to reveal the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to the heathen nations:

" Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. " Ex. 19:5,6

"And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people. Lev. 20:23-24 =SEPARATION=HOLINESS

"For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth." Deut. 7:6, 14:2, 26:18-19

Acts 2:38 "every one of you" ARE JEWS,

Peter addressed:

"ye men of Judea" 2:14 JEWS mandated to come to Jerusalem for Pentecost
"ye men of Israel" 2:22 " " "
"men and brethren" 2:29 """

Peter would not be "caught dead" associating with a Gentile-he is refering to his fellow Jews:

"let all the house of Israel" 2:36

Acts 2:39
"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call."
"O LORD, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee." Daniel 9:7 =JEWS

This promise is a reference to the COVENANTS promised to the JEWS all throughout the OT. Gentiles had no covenant promises:

"Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises..." Romans 9:4

"Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers..." Romans 15:8

The circumcision were Jews. The fathers were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And Romans 15:8 explains :

AGAIN:
"These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Mt. 10:5-6

"But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Mt. 15:24

"afar off" is a reference to the dispersia scattered abroad: JEWS

"O LORD, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee." Daniel 9:7

The Gentile condition:

"That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world..." Eph. 2:12

The Holy Bible never refers to unsaved Gentiles as sheep. Many, who refuse to rightly divide this word of truth, teach that when Gentiles are saved, they become sheep.

But the Holy Bible says that when Gentiles are saved, they become joint-heirs along with saved Israelites in a joint-body, which is called the Body of Christ per Ephesians 3:6.

And Galatians 3:28 states that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Together, saved Jews and Gentiles are “One New Man”, heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ, in a jount body..

The “one flock” of John 10:16 cannot be the “one new man” of Ephesians 2:15.

Again, the “one new man” of Ephesians 2:15 is called a “joint-body” in Ephesians 3:6 of no distinction..

The OT knew absolutely nothing of the joint body.
Many believers will dogmatically oppose calling saved Gentiles “spiritual Israel”, but are not opposed to calling them “spiritual sheep” based on Acts 20:28. But it is obvious that the Lord Jesus Christ was not speaking of the “Church of the Mystery” when He spoke of the "one flock” in John 10, or when the LORD God spoke of Israel as His scattered sheep. The Acts 20:28 passage is an isolated, lone passage, its intent being a spiritual application, But it does not convey, in this dispensation, that the body of Christ, saved individuals, are "scattered, lost" sheep. The Holy Bible never refers to saved Gentiles as sheep. Read the cited, overwhelming, preponderous of evidence, and the context. And look below:.
_____________
"sheep" as individual Gentiles in the context of Gentile nations during "The Great Trib"

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me." Mt. 25:31-36

-Those judged will be the nations. The Jews will not be there at that judgment, for thy are "...not to be reckoned among the nations"(Numbers 23:9). "The" church(whichever) will not be there, for it bears no relation to the Lord Jesus Christ as "the Son of Man"(this title is used exclusively as it relates to judgment, and taking dominion on earth,) because it will not come into judgment at all(.John 5:24, Romans 8:1...........................................................................................................................)

-the place is before "the throne of his glory", which on earth, not "in heaven":

"And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them." Ezekiel 39:21

Heathen in heaven?

"For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land........Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.." Joel 3:1.2,11,12

"Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter." Isaiah 34:2

-The ground of this judgment is not even righteousness, much less holiness; it is not the ground of faith, or grace. And as to works, it is not even 'good works" generally, but, as such, but only one specific work, viz., how these nations, the heathen treated "the brethren" of the Judge, the Son of Man,i.e., the Jews, per Matthew 25:35-40. This can only refer to those nations who were ALIVE to stand before that Judge, and which have thus treated or maltreated "my brethren", i.e., His brethren. And notice that there is not one word about RESURRECTION in this passage, as there is in the "Great White Throne" judgment.

-The reward is specific: it is entrance into "...the kingdom prepared for you(the JEWS-my note)from the foundation of the world..."(Mt. 25:34).

Only mental gymnastics can "square" this with this being the body of Christ, i.e., -how the church, which is his body, "in Christ"... before the foundation of the world..."(Eph. 1:4), can enter the kingdom" is a problem, and those who make it must spiritualize simple words.

This kingdom is under the whole heaven(Psalms 115:16), upon the earth(Deut. 11:21) and before the 1000 year millennium when the Son of Man will appear with His holy angels "to execute judgment .....in the land"=on earth(Jer.23:5, 33:15):

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
" Jude 14 ,15

"cometh" to where? EARTH=where the Lord Jesus Christ will establish his literal throne in Jerusalem.

"And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man." John 5:27

However, even this judgment is not total, nor final, for,after 1000 years, Satan will be loosed for a season, in order to demonstrate, that, despite "the perfect environment", as was the condition in the garden of Eden, in spite of all the evidences of the glory and goodness of the LORD God demonstrated in His millennial reign, man is a rebel at heart, or, to use an idiom, "he is what he is." And thus, so much for "the social gospel", and "dominion theology"-trying to "fix this place up", then man will change, he will "evolve"(evolution!) upward. No, man has a "heart problem", which only the gospel of Christ can rectify/cure.

vs. "The Great White Throne" Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15...............................................


In Christ,
John M. Whalen

 

[eph3Nine]

part 2

Prophecy/warning of this dispersia:

"The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth." Deut. 28:25

"Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?" Jn 7:35=Jews dispersed abroad among the Gentile nations.


Acts 1:2 -Jews-no Gentiles

"And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)..." Acts 1:13-15 -Jews, no Gentiles

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." This is the same "they" of Acts 1:26-Jews-no Gentiles.

Pentecost was a JEWISH Feast. You HAD TO BE JEWISH to participate in this obligation. A Gentile could only be included if he was a proselyte.

"And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven...." Acts 2:5 Jews-no Gentiles

"Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God." Acts 2:9-11 =the dispersia of Jews scattered abroad. Pentecost was one of the feasts mandated by the Law of Moses(the other being Passover and Tabernacles), where every every male JEW had to attend in Jerusalem. This explains why the big crowd! This was a mandatory JEWISH feast day=NO GENTILES ALLOWED!

Peter, as late as Acts 10:28, would have no company with any Gentile:

"And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean..."

This was part of the Law of Moses-JEWS were to be SEPARATE from the heathen nations=GENTILES. Hence, the meaning of a"holy" nation=separated by the LORD God for service to be the vessel,or channel of God to reveal the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to the heathen nations:

" Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. " Ex. 19:5,6

"And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people. Lev. 20:23-24 =SEPARATION=HOLINESS

"For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth." Deut. 7:6, 14:2, 26:18-19

Acts 2:38 "every one of you" ARE JEWS,

Peter addressed:

"ye men of Judea" 2:14 JEWS mandated to come to Jerusalem for Pentecost
"ye men of Israel" 2:22 " " "
"men and brethren" 2:29 """

Peter would not be "caught dead" associating with a Gentile-he is refering to his fellow Jews:

"let all the house of Israel" 2:36

Acts 2:39
"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call."
"O LORD, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee." Daniel 9:7 =JEWS

This promise is a reference to the COVENANTS promised to the JEWS all throughout the OT. Gentiles had no covenant promises:

"Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises..." Romans 9:4

"Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers..." Romans 15:8

The circumcision were Jews. The fathers were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And Romans 15:8 explains :

AGAIN:
"These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Mt. 10:5-6

"But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Mt. 15:24

"afar off" is a reference to the dispersia scattered abroad: JEWS

"O LORD, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee." Daniel 9:7

The Gentile condition:

"That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world..." Eph. 2:12

The Holy Bible never refers to unsaved Gentiles as sheep. Many, who refuse to rightly divide this word of truth, teach that when Gentiles are saved, they become sheep.

But the Holy Bible says that when Gentiles are saved, they become joint-heirs along with saved Israelites in a joint-body, which is called the Body of Christ per Ephesians 3:6.

And Galatians 3:28 states that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Together, saved Jews and Gentiles are “One New Man”, heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ, in a jount body..

The “one flock” of John 10:16 cannot be the “one new man” of Ephesians 2:15.

Again, the “one new man” of Ephesians 2:15 is called a “joint-body” in Ephesians 3:6 of no distinction..

The OT knew absolutely nothing of the joint body.
Many believers will dogmatically oppose calling saved Gentiles “spiritual Israel”, but are not opposed to calling them “spiritual sheep” based on Acts 20:28. But it is obvious that the Lord Jesus Christ was not speaking of the “Church of the Mystery” when He spoke of the "one flock” in John 10, or when the LORD God spoke of Israel as His scattered sheep. The Acts 20:28 passage is an isolated, lone passage, its intent being a spiritual application, But it does not convey, in this dispensation, that the body of Christ, saved individuals, are "scattered, lost" sheep. The Holy Bible never refers to saved Gentiles as sheep. Read the cited, overwhelming, preponderous of evidence, and the context. And look below:.
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"sheep" as individual Gentiles in the context of Gentile nations during "The Great Trib"

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me." Mt. 25:31-36

-Those judged will be the nations. The Jews will not be there at that judgment, for thy are "...not to be reckoned among the nations"(Numbers 23:9). "The" church(whichever) will not be there, for it bears no relation to the Lord Jesus Christ as "the Son of Man"(this title is used exclusively as it relates to judgment, and taking dominion on earth,) because it will not come into judgment at all(.John 5:24, Romans 8:1...........................................................................................................................)

-the place is before "the throne of his glory", which on earth, not "in heaven":

"And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them." Ezekiel 39:21

Heathen in heaven?

"For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land........Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.." Joel 3:1.2,11,12

"Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter." Isaiah 34:2

-The ground of this judgment is not even righteousness, much less holiness; it is not the ground of faith, or grace. And as to works, it is not even 'good works" generally, but, as such, but only one specific work, viz., how these nations, the heathen treated "the brethren" of the Judge, the Son of Man,i.e., the Jews, per Matthew 25:35-40. This can only refer to those nations who were ALIVE to stand before that Judge, and which have thus treated or maltreated "my brethren", i.e., His brethren. And notice that there is not one word about RESURRECTION in this passage, as there is in the "Great White Throne" judgment.

-The reward is specific: it is entrance into "...the kingdom prepared for you(the JEWS-my note)from the foundation of the world..."(Mt. 25:34).

Only mental gymnastics can "square" this with this being the body of Christ, i.e., -how the church, which is his body, "in Christ"... before the foundation of the world..."(Eph. 1:4), can enter the kingdom" is a problem, and those who make it must spiritualize simple words.

This kingdom is under the whole heaven(Psalms 115:16), upon the earth(Deut. 11:21) and before the 1000 year millennium when the Son of Man will appear with His holy angels "to execute judgment .....in the land"=on earth(Jer.23:5, 33:15):

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
" Jude 14 ,15

"cometh" to where? EARTH=where the Lord Jesus Christ will establish his literal throne in Jerusalem.

"And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man." John 5:27

However, even this judgment is not total, nor final, for,after 1000 years, Satan will be loosed for a season, in order to demonstrate, that, despite "the perfect environment", as was the condition in the garden of Eden, in spite of all the evidences of the glory and goodness of the LORD God demonstrated in His millennial reign, man is a rebel at heart, or, to use an idiom, "he is what he is." And thus, so much for "the social gospel", and "dominion theology"-trying to "fix this place up", then man will change, he will "evolve"(evolution!) upward. No, man has a "heart problem", which only the gospel of Christ can rectify/cure.

vs. "The Great White Throne" Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15...............................................


In Christ,
John M. Whalen

Ohhhhhhhhh man...that was AWESOME....another one for my files...well done, John, well done.